Explanation
Background: The City of Columbus, Ohio (“City”), Department of Recreation and Parks, is undertaking the acquisition of a 7 acre parcel, 4645 Westerville Road, LIMNOS, LLC Planning Area 6 (PID 600-214871-00). The City desires to acquire the parcel, 4645 Westerville Road, LIMNOS, LLC Planning Area 6 (PID 600-214871-00). The following is an ordinance to authorize the Columbus City Attorney to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests, contract for professional services, and to expend monies for payment of acquisition costs related to the acquisition of a 7 acre parcel, 4645 Westerville Road, LIMNOS, LLC Planning Area 6 (PID 600-214871-00).
This legislation will authorize the Director to expend up to $950,000 for costs associated with the acquisition of the LIMNOS Property, 4645 Westerville Road, and to execute those documents as approved by the City Attorney’s Office, Real Estate Division, necessary for the purchase.
Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is working to provide equitable access to parks in our Columbus neighborhoods as identified in the priorities of the CRPD Master Plan through future land acquisition in the Northeast portion of Columbus.
In July of 2017, the Department acquired the former NCAA sports complex, 4625 Westerville Road. Immediately adjacent to this new park is a 7 acre parcel, 4645 Westerville Road, LIMNOS, LLC. The commercially zoned property is on the market for sale. The property directly fronts Westerville Road. The property is uniquely adjacent to NCAA, the Linden abandoned rail corridor and the newly built Westerville Road/Alum Creek Trail Connector.
The newly acquired 54 acre athletic field complex is busy, and use is steadily increasing. The current access drive from Westerville Road is narrow, not signalized, and does not have the ability to become signalized. Acquiring the LIMNOS property could provide a new direct connection to an intersection with Westerville Woods Blvd.
This site would have space to develop a community center. If a center is not built, it still provides needed park space, safe entrance development, and parking for tournaments.
This would put residents from 3 neighborhoods living around this park space with no developed access within minutes of the site. This amount of potential connectivity to a large park space is rare.
The costs for this project will be $950,000.00.
Principal Parties:
LIMNOS Management LLC
4645 Westerville Road
Columbus, OH 43229
Emergency Justification: An emergency is being requested due to the acquisition requiring city council approval to close by November 28, 2017.
Benefits to the Public: The acquisition helps address a parkland deficit in Columbus and the North East area of the City. Specifically, the Master Plan points to high parkland need for active recreation space, Northeast side of the city. The nearest sports field complexes are Cooper Park and Easton Soccer Complex, and both are filled to capacity. This property directly expands NCAA, and will increase our ability to serve residents of Columbus as well as generate earned income revenue for the Department’s Sports Section.
Community Input Issues: Access to community sports and park space is a high priority within the Northland Community. Available space for parkland is limited in this dense area of the city.
Area(s) Affected: Planning Area 6 (Northland)
Fiscal Impact: $950,000.00 is budgeted and available in the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 to meet the financial obligations of this contract.
Title
To authorize the Director of Recreation and Parks to expend up to $950,000.00 for costs associated with the acquisition of the LIMNOS Property, 4645 Westerville Road; to authorize the Director to execute those documents, as approved by the City Attorney’s Office, Real Estate Division, necessary for the purchase of the propery; to authorize the expenditure of $950,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($950,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City intends to acquire the 7 acre (more or less) parcel of real estate at 4645 Westerville Road, Columbus, Ohio, from LIMNOS Management, LLC., located in Planning Area 6 (PID 600-214871-00); and
WHEREAS, the City intends to spend funds from the Recreation and Parks Department’s Voted Bond Funds in order to acquire the Real Estate; and
WHEREAS, the City intends the Recreation and Parks Department to accept, use and manage the Real Estate as public parkland, green space, recreation, and riparian protection; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the director of the Recreation and Parks Department to enter into any necessary agreements, as approved by the City Attorney, to complete the acquisition, with the grantor(s) of the Real Estate; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $950,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Recreation and Parks Department in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to execute those documents necessary to acquire the Real Estate without delay, which will preserve the public peace, property, health, welfare, and safety; and now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department is authorized to enter into any necessary agreements, as approved by the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, for the acquisition of the 7 acre (more or less) parcel of real estate at 4645 Westerville Road, Columbus, Ohio, from LIMNOS Management, LLC.
SECTION 2. That the Director of Recreation and Parks is authorized to expend up to nine hundred fifty thousand and 00/100 U.S. Dollars ($950,000.00) from the Recreation and Parks Department Voted Bond Fund for said acquisition and associated costs.
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor is authorized and directed to establish any appropriate accounting codes once the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are deemed appropriated.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized and directed to transfer any unencumbered balance in the public project’s account to the unallocated balance within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the director of the department administering the public project that the public project is complete and the monies are no longer required for the public project, except that no transfer can be made from a project account by monies from more than one source.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is authorized and directed to establish any proper and appropriate project accounting numbers.
SECTION 6. That the City Auditor is authorized and directed to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 7. That for the reasons stated in the preamble of this ordinance, which are fully incorporated into this ordinance, this ordinance is declared to be an emergency measure and is required take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten (10) days after its passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes this ordinance.